Poilievre calls for all-party working group on renewing trade deal with U.S.
OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre laid out his vision for the Canada-U.S. relationship on Thursday, directly denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Canada while insisting on a stable relationship with our southern neighbour. “The lesson in this moment is simple: the path to sovereignty is focusing relentlessly on what is within our power,” […]
MPs agree to fast-track study of budget bill, with confidence vote to follow
OTTAWA — MPs have agreed to fast-track a committee study of the government’s main budget bill, setting the stage for what could be a final vote on the legislation by the end of the month. Government House leader Steven MacKinnon introduced a motion after question period today that lays out timelines for the finance committee […]
Ford cancels plan to remove Crown Royal from LCBO shelves after $23M deal
TORONTO — Crown Royal will remain on Ontario liquor store shelves, after its parent company agreed to $23 million in spending in the province and Premier Doug Ford cancelled his plans for a boycott. Ford had been threatening for months to pull the product from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario after Diageo announced it […]
Statistics Canada set to release January jobs numbers
OTTAWA — Statistics Canada is set to release jobs figures for January this morning. A Reuters poll of economists expects employers added 7,000 jobs in the first month of 2026, good enough to keep the unemployment rate steady at 6.8 per cent. RBC forecasts a decline of 10,000 jobs in January, giving back some of […]
Anandasangaree says lack of help from some provinces, police won’t thwart gun buyback
OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says he doesn’t foresee logistical challenges in gathering up banned firearms through a federal buyback program, despite the refusal of several provinces and police forces to help. Anandasangaree said in an interview the use of mobile collection units and off-duty or retired police officers will help ensure the […]
First Nations warn members to be cautious when entering U.S. following ICE actions
OTTAWA — Several First Nations are warning their members to be wary of crossing the border into the United States in response to immigration enforcement raids and the detention of some U.S. tribal citizens. The Kashechewan First Nation in northern Ontario — which was forced to evacuate earlier this month when local water and sewage […]
Lutnick calls Carney’s speech ‘political noise’ and cautions Canada on China deal
WASHINGTON — U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum “political noise” on Thursday and criticized Canada’s recent deal with China. “Give me a break,” Lutnick said on Bloomberg TV. “They have the second best deal in the world and all I got to do is listen […]
Inflation rises to 2.4% in December in ‘tax holiday’ rebound: StatCan
OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the end of the federal government’s tax holiday a year earlier pushed the annual pace of inflation up two ticks to 2.4 per cent in December. A poll of economists heading into Monday’s data release had expected the annual inflation rate would hold steady at 2.2 per cent. StatCan said […]
Nova Scotia lobster industry surprised, elated by suspension of Chinese tariff
HALIFAX — Key players in Nova Scotia’s lucrative seafood industry are celebrating Ottawa’s successful bid to persuade China to temporarily drop a painful 25 per cent tariff on Canadian lobster and crab. Stewart Lamont, managing director of the Tangier Lobster Company, says the tariff has cost the province’s economy more than $400 million since it […]
Appeal court to rule on federal use of Emergencies Act in response to 2022 protests
OTTAWA — The Federal Court of Appeal is set to rule today on whether it was reasonable for the Liberal government to use the Emergencies Act four years ago to quell protests in the national capital and at key border points. For about three weeks in January and February 2022, downtown Ottawa was filled with […]